There's a lot of gameplay crammed onto this cartridge--four full games, each with enough distinction to enjoy separately. And while you'd probably feel a little rooked if you only got one of these on a cart, with all four this title is an absolute steal.
The first, and the one that most anyone should recognize, is the original Pac-Man. I still feel the urge to throw quarters into these machines when I see them, and that everpresent background warble can give me the shivers every now and then even today. The game plays quite well, although the graphical options for the GBA limit it a bit more than I would have liked; I think that Namco did the best they could with what they had, though, and the end result is just as entertaining as the 'real thing'--and a lot more portable.
The next title (in chronological order) is Pac-Mania. I always really liked the game, because its pseudo-3D isometric view appealed to me. Well, that and the fact that Pac-Man can jump. Once again, the game seems to have made the transition to a hand-held surprisingly well, and while it definitely takes some getting used to, the environments and twists that jumping provides can provide just as many hours of entertainment as the rest of the games on the cart.
Perhaps the oddest choice for games on the cart, although it's a choice that I very much appreciate, is Pac-Attack. Released for both the SNES and Genesis back in 'the day,' Pac-Attack seems like an attempt to cash in on the Tetris craze of the time with some Pac-Man themeing. Blocks of 'junk' and ghosts fall down, and occasionally a piece with Pac-Man will fall as well. When you get a Pac-Man block, he starts munching away at the ghosts. In the normal mode you try to make lines of blocks and clear the areas when you can; in the puzzle mode you have to solve the puzzles with the blocks that you're given. Most people would probably see this as the throwaway title on the cart, but I find myself playing it more than any other title.
The last game, but most certainly not the least, is Pac-Man Arrangement. Sort of a 'super Pac-Man,' the game features a whole slew of new things to go along with the spiffy graphics and music. You've got power-ups, traps, a new ghost, and a whole lot of different environments to play around in. Anyone who played the recent Pac-Man: Adventures in Time will know just what I'm talking about; the arenas spice up what is otherwise a strictly classic game, and the various goodies and surprises make for an interesting experience. While it may feel a little gimmicky at times, the game plays very well.
